Nicolas Sarkozy’s hopes of staging a political comeback received a boost
yesterday after he escaped trial over allegations that he had exploited a
senile billionaire widow.

Investigating magistrates said that there were no grounds for prosecuting him
in connection with Liliane Bettencourt, the heiress to L’Oréal, the
cosmetics empire. Mr Sarkozy, 58, had been accused of persuading Mrs
Bettencourt, 90, to give him campaign donations in 2007 when she was
suffering from senile dementia.

The move brings closer his dream of bouncing back from his election defeat
last year and regaining the presidency in 2017. As his supporters sighed in